River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-01-20
SECOND BIENNIAL MESSAGE
Jeremiah M. Rusk.
GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN.
10 ne Honorable. ne Lsnislature;

L
dence, and congratulate you upon the many |
hopeful signs Of continuation Tor the future. /
New discoveries have been made ana new nelds |
OF industry aud employment are being opened, |
and the prospects that the resources Of the state
will he greatly developed during the coming year,
are gratifying In the extreme While thus con
graduating you upon material progress, IL is
with deep regret that am compelled To report,
that during the past year the peace OF our state
strikes and riots OF greater magnitude OF more
violence, and farther reaching In their eonse-
Quences than ever before. In this connection,
YOU are reminded that IL will be your duty, as
legislators, to look carefully into the causes OF
these troubles, and wherein our laws Tor the pre-.
vention Of wrong doing or the punishment or
wrong-doers, are found to DO defective II viii be
your duty TO perfect them by such new legislation
as recent experience and reasonable anicipations
for the future may Indicate to be repaired. While
your own INTEL gence, aided by your ihVesilga-
tons and discussions, will, have no doubt, lead
you 70 a satisfactory solution OF all the pIohlens
involy ed in this subject yet may be lndulged ~
few suggestions, which hope will not be found
either impei tinent or uawarranted.
The discussion of the labor and capital ques-
ton has become extensive, has taken such
wide range and is being participated IA by so
many people, representing such diversity OF
views and interests that II Is not strange II, at
this stage OF the discussion, there Is more con
fusion than clearness Of thought upon 1t. To
eliminate from all this confus ion and controversy
what is essential concrete and practicable ana IN
accord with those principles OF Justice upon
which all good government is founded, ana EN-
body il in effective law is no light nor trivial
task.
1t seems to me that a very IMPORTANT might
say, vital-fact in this great agitation has so Tar
been almost lost sight OF, namely: Ihat a Ia ge
| majority of the people Of every city aud every
! State where the labor troubles have existed, and
| an overwhelming majority of the whole people,
are not directly parties 10 the controversy at all
! The contention Is between employees ana employ
4 ers and both classes combined are but minority
fraction of the whole people, whose peace and
interests are int rrupted and their rights violated
/ by these unseenlly and Unnecessary disturbances.
Ii is he right and duty Of the peope--that is, Of
/ the great majority-to step in ana say not only
let US have Ieace, but we wAi nave ptace,
/ and through he law and lawfully constituted
| authorities 70 to il that We do have peace,
and that disturbers are promptly and properly
In a few communities comparatively, there are
| large bodies Of workmen, or iab0rers' VINO yolun-
tarily choose to WORK for others, TOT Wasrs these
by general usage, are called workingmen." But
/ they are not the only wOrkingmen r not the only
I laborers in the country. The great majority OF
our people are workers, with hands or braIh or
both and to all such belongs equally the proud
/ title OF laborer But farther, majority OF the
whole number who do manual productive iaoor,
employ themSe YES, plan Tor IN rhSeiVes'
work for themselves and take the whole
product Of their labor to themselves, ana
find market for their surplus when ahd as
they can. This great independent, seif-renlnt
majority is the bone and snew, the PRIZE ahd
glory of good citizenship. Among thein there
are no strikes riots, no interference with the
opportunities, liberties and rights OF 9thers. mat
then rights and their interests should be Jeopar-
died by the restless contentious 81 a stiIal mi
nority, who ridiculously assume mat Hey are tle
oatH ldboreTs of the country, Is wrong 100 man
fest to be much longer endured. IL the parties
|, to these ever-recutrng disturbances cannot iiHu
a way of amicably setting their disputes, they
must he made to submit u such legal arottratioh
as will at least protect the peace ana dignity OF
In indicating that some additional legislation
may be required touching the rights OF aborers
of all classes, and their mutual relations 70 each
other only the most prominent fundamental prla-
ciples of natural liberty and popular government
need be alluded to-
1 son EMPLOYS himself and works on ms own prem
Uses and on his own material, with ms own Tools,
the product Of his labor is all his own TO DO WIN
| as he sees fit That he must be protected IN the
full enjoyment OF all the fruit OF his judgment
labor and SILL il d rs not require arg ilneht 70
convince Us. II is selfevidcnt But where one
, person engages o work for another, on another :
z premises and material, and with another toois
machinery, II is equally clear thit the p
belongs to the employer; the wo kman S claim
ends with the receipt Of his stipulated wages: Inc
states duty and province in such cases Is Simply
t. maintain ndi rights ana enIofce ue
/ fnInumept Of contracts Ever one s right TO
work for himself, or for any one else, on such
terms as he may choose TO make, must oe MAJ I
! tanned at all hazards. He who interieres with
, this principle, tramples upon the most sacred o.
human rights and upon consecrated principe o.
:. C;oyernment should not be-indeed cannot af-
ford to be-indiherent 10 the welfare Of any class
OF citizens ana 1t IS special DUTY 70 Ffotect the
poor and weak against any possible aggf essloh o.
the rich and strong. To this end, all the Iishts
aud interests of wol kingmen of the wage classes
should DO jealousy guarded against lnJusuce oi
> opnressioD AT the hands Of their employers. Cor
poratons created by authority OF the state I'M
in the nature of their business must be arge en-
ployers of labor or that from the nature OF thel
business and their charges for service may Ilt geA
affect the value Of the product OF labor genefaly
to the producer, must be held TO strict anu JUS
accountability, and be subject always io'the cen
4 troll and regulation Of the state.
, With those agrarian and sociastic theories O
fancful society that deny the right OF private
property, or of each individual TO fun protectloi
4 In the enjoyment and control Of all his lawiu
earnings, whether obtained by his own iaooI Q
}. by contract can have no sympathy Ihel
4, are as I'M American as monarchy, and as treason
: able as secession. They contemplate the destruc
ton Of both justice and liberty, and would accom-
plish the destruction of both If their application
= to existing society were seriously attempted. W
u are not prepared, as American citizens. TO ever
= consiier change in our form OF government
Republican Institutions and individual liberty &
!, hand in hand, and must be and viii be loyal.
:. maintained
+ The finances Of the state in a satisfactory
condition No tax has been levied upon the coun
ties for the past three years for deraying the ex
# penses Of the State government. In the prevlou
two years a was levied and collected from "
several counties amounting e SUI o9a.4o, 40
preparations made by the last legislature
4 amounting to about 100000 all Of which cam
out of the General fund, there remained ba
ance in that fund at The close of the biennia
period, September 30, 1886, as shown by the Il
port Of the Secretary Of State, of Sis5,6s9 s.
These appropriations and the expenses Of tn
q State government were paid without leVylhg
: tax upon the counties. The report OF the Seert
le the receipts and disbursements OF the sewers
10 funds and the cost Of maintaining the state GOV
eminent. Unless the legislature shali max q.
ditional appropriations, above the OBITUARY -
ID penses of the Legislative, Judicial and EXecutlv
lr Departments. necessity will exist for provo
re ing for any tax levy for the next two years.
D. TRUST FUNDS
ii The productive School fund, on the 30th day
to September 1886, amounted to S2,9S ll5 ", an
IS there was to the credit IF the fund.- IN the lrea'
n ury, on that day, S37, s91.06. The School fun
~ income for the biennial period was $3.50, 400 =
y inclujing the mill tax, amounting 70 sass
- 1897 o. and vas apportloled 70 the seveIai con
lg The productive University fund, bearing inle
lg est on the Both day Of September 1886, amonnte
III to $3.50 99S 3d. and the balance on hand 70 u
C credit of the fund. on that day, was 80 ,2o< !
,r The University fund income. for the oiehni
a. period, amounted to S2l4o20Sl
- The Agricultural College fluid bearing ihteres
OF on the Both day of September, 1856; was sIps
ir SOFA and the balance on hand in the treasir
of come was $39,9909 81 forthe two years.
" The productive Normal school fund on Ihe 81
~ day of September, 1856 amounted 70 sl9so -
- and the balance in the treasury, on tlle same ga
- was s.. 100 "a The total Normal school Iunu !
III come for the two years was S2OOl'444 az
"a which passed into the treasury OF the no
nj. The receipts Of the Drainage fund, for the bic
Sc rial period. were 800 80 w ana tn ao o ass
or the credit of that fund. September ~, 1850 W
n s652SS 49, There was apporhoned 10 COUNT
=, during this period, s20505B, as preVlaea
law. Under the act Of 1889, proyldllg ~, iile .
ne Of claims against the general government l,J
If the swamp land grant, appointed ueeis
-eS Burchard, and he hes procured patents ~
ds State for about twenty thousand acres OF lan Z
ic- and cash amounting To $3.50 olll = , ~" :
to fore Congress which should It become la"'
- rive the State about $4,000 additional
u The st Cruix and Lake Superior Itallroad ~
nd pass fund has been about all closed up ahd ps
list over to the benefisares entitled thereto, uuu
nj the legislation heretofore enacted lheie Ituihi
gh at the present time, in the fund, as lIs So 80
stands upon the books Of the Secretary o. oti
the sum of S2.06 46. All of this sum mas oe
ret aimed for trespass that has been coiIihitt
upon lands claimed by the State as swamp;
The disbursements from the doNefitOI N eHa
ast gent fund to December 81, 1850, were 80 u
We and the balance to the credit Of the Iuhu On -
day was So 65621 / recommend the usual app
ny priation Of 81 900 per year
ACCOUNT WITH THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
m / have the pleasure Of reporting TO the Legs
i, cure that all of the account known as lle Wal
~ levied against the state Of Wisconsin, amount
-bt to S. TO- 6sS 81 has been paid, and that the OIl
an States owes. upon the settlement' 70 the ot9te
The Wise insin s.. 4U9 - and some o. the ou IA
laS still pending upon which u = hopeu ~ 49,
~ ties Of Executive there was S20a. 90 10 81 andl
~ against the State. This amount mas Deeh paiu
- credits which were allowed the stale upon
- read iustmsnt Of our claims against the grhe
no government for purposes, Tor swamp y
a Indemnity, and for five per centuin OF sue seies
of public lands prior to June 30th, ISL
re- The whole amount Of the war tax IN my Ju
MT mt mt, should be refunded % the several Sta'
-, A measure is now pending before congress %
- inhurse the several states bv repay ing sueh
- have paid, and creditiux such as nave nov ~
I've II this should PASS Wisconsin VIII receive -
n a GSs 81 ont OF which the school and swamp Ia
ted funds could be reimbursed for the amounts
= a vertad from those funds and the balance p